title: Detection of anti-HIV IgA in tears of children born to seropositive mothers is highly specific.
abstract: In order to improve the diagnosis of HIV infection in children born to seropositive mothers, 86 children were previously tested by Western blotting for anti-HIV IgA in tears and IgG in serum, at a median age of 9.2 months. To determine the exact value of the assay, 68/86 children of the same cohort were retested 9 months later. Nine children (13.4%) were seropositive and all had anti-HIV IgA in tears. Eight of them had possessed lachrymal antibodies 9 months earlier. The ninth child was seronegative when 9 months old and then seroconverted. Four children (6%), known to be seronegative, had an indeterminate Western blot pattern and no HIV IgA in tears. Fifty four (80.6%) were seronegative at 18 months; none of them had ever had anti-HIV IgA in tears. This highlights the fact that only the children without lachrymal HIV IgA at the age of 9 months became seronegative at the age of 18 months. Our results clearly show that the detection of anti-HIV IgA in tears is a highly specific and reliable diagnostic test in children aged less than 15 months, born to seropositive mothers.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Bangui.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Renom
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bouquety
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanckriet
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Siopathis
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D013666:Tears / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G